What is acne really? And treatments?

Question

I know acne is when you have lots of zits and stuff but I don't really know what acne is. How do you know if you have acne or not? I get a fair amount of zits and my friends say I have acne, but isn't acne much worse?
What is a good facial scrub to use to prevent zits from forming and what is a good cream that actually works?

Answer 1

Yes, acne is much worse. It's an inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands, characterized by comedones and pimples. A pimple really isn't that bad. It's just a clogged pore, full of either dirt or oil (blackhead or whitehead).

To find out for yourself, you should see a professional. But it's probably not that serious.Go to some online sites (Google or Yahoo! search) to find advice on what you really have. You could also ask an adult or a parent. They may have better advice because you most likely have the same skin as one of them.

Most products have salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. These are just drying agents. If you have pimples, you can use these, but if it's acne, the last thing you should be doing is drying out your skin.

I have found that dissolving an aspirin in water and applying the contents to the inflamed area works nicely. The interesting thing is that the main ingredient in aspirin comes from the willow tree, as does salicylic acid.

To reduce redness. apply an ice cube. Visine will also reduce redness.

If your problem's really bad, ask your parents about seeing a dermatologist.

Hope this helps!
-Samantha :)

P.S. Here are some helpful sites:
www.proactiv.com
www.cleanandclear.com
www.clearasil.com
www.webmd.com
www.acnehelp.org.uk

Answer 2

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Answer 3

The term acne describes any level of severity of breakouts. Usually oily and sensitive skin is prone to acne--the pores make a lot of oil, then the oil clogs up the pores. After a while the pores get infected and the area is irritated. White blood cells get in there and fight the infection so sometimes you get some puss or white heads. Yeah, the worst are the cysts that swell under your skin. Sometimes antibiotics are needed since it can be an "inside out" type problem. I found that using really good effective and gentle skin care is the best solution many times. Salycylic acid is good for some people's chemistry, and benzoyl peroxide is good for others. Me personally it is benzoyl peroxide. Neutrogena has a good spot cream with benzoyl peroxide in it. Proactive has the same substance but can be drying to the face.

The best treatment I have found is a combo of bemzoyl peroxide and sulphur. These agents together can knock a pimple out in no time! (DDF and Sonya Dakar have some treatments like this)

Answer 4

Acne refers to the acne vulgaris bacterium. It is an inflammatory condition of the skin. Pimples and zits are acne, so if you have one pimple, you have acne.

For a detailed description of acne go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acne_vulgaris

You should avoid all Over the Counter products with salycilic acid and benzoyl peroxide. This includes Proactiv, Clearasil and Oxy. These products are all the same and basically contain bleaching agents or acids that burn your skin. Because acne is an inflammatory condition, meaning the pimples are red because blood cells are rushing to the site, these irritating serums only further irritate skin and make your red acne bumps redder.

I agree with all the other posters that you should use a very very gently cleanser like Cetaphil which is really inexpensive and wash your face 2 times a day. Acne can also be caused by poor diet, stress and hormone imbalances. I take Frutels for these underlying causes and they have worked for me. Frutels is great because it prevents acne from occuring. The vitamin formula apparently attacks the root causes of acne. And they are a fun gummy candy,.

Answer 5

"Yes, acne is much worse. It's an inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands, characterized by comedones and pimples. A pimple really isn't that bad. It's just a clogged pore, full of either dirt or oil (blackhead or whitehead)" - Samantha

Agreed. I used to have a lot of acnes and they were awfully painful. My acne problems reduced after I started to maintain a healthy diet (no oily, fried , spicy food and drink plenty of water) and also rest more. Stress will also cause acne I think. I'm also using products from 'Simple Skin Defence' but I think that's mainly for men.

Hope that helps.

Answer 6

Right now my skin is perfectly clear, for the first time in 3 years. It's been about 9 weeks and all my acne is gone. It is such a great feeling to wake up with clear skin.

Holistic Acne Treatment Guide?

Answer 7

My husband and I both have acne, his more severe than mine. In my opinion, it is severe when it forms under the skin and forms cystic like pimples. They hurt really bad and last a fairly long time. For my brother's cystic acne, the skin doctor prescribed accutane, which is the strongest product on the market to get rid of acne. It has some pretty bad side effects, and when it is given to women, they usually make them take birth control because of the risk of birth defects, if the woman were to get pregnant.
It sounds to me like you don't have really bad acne, but you are unhappy with your skin, so it's something you should try to get taken care of. What has worked for me really well is a product called Continuously Clear. My Mom ordered it from QVC for me. It is a three step system with a face wash, a powerful benzoyl peroxide lotion/liquid, and a moisturizing lotion, because the benzoyl peroxide tends to dry your skin out.
The key to getting any over-the-counter products to work, like Proactiv or Murad, is to use them just like the label says, in the mornings and at night. Use them consistently and your acne should clear up noticeably within a few weeks or so.
I hope this helped and I hope your acne clears up, as I know that it is a real embarrassment to have zits!

Answer 8

Dont scrub or exfoliate your skin. Many think it will get rid of the pimples. YOu need to see a dermotologist because it starts from the inside of your skin coming outward. You may need an antibiotic to help clear your skin. ALso, ask about Ziana- a new acne gel that dries those pimples up.
In the meantime, wash face with a mild cleanser like cetaphil and moisturize with an oil free moistusrizer like cetaphil. THese can be found at any drugstore. Also always wash face with cool or cold water, Never hot.

Good Luck.

Answer 9

First of all, I suggest that you go see a Dermatologist so they can tell you what is the best to use for your skin type. My doctor told me to use Cetaphil Facial Cleanser that can be found at a pharmacy drug store (which has been working great for me, my skin has not been dry and has cleared up since I have stopped using all the other brands), it is very gental and cleanses the pores without any harsh chemicals. it is created by the same company that makes the prescription acne gel Differin (which the Dermatologist suggests to use along with the Cetaphil Facial Cleanser if you have an acne problem). she told me to NOT use store brands that claim to fight acne and all of that like neutrogena, st. ives, ponds, loreal, clearsil, etc. because they all over dry the skin and causes the pores to over produce oils which causes the pores to clog up even more and cause acne. that's how they sell the product...your skin keeps clogging up, therefore you keep buying it.

Answer 10

raw unpasturized apple cider vinegar..
the following 2 testimonials can be seen at http://www.earthclinic.com/cures/acne.ht...
Angelina O, has found that applying ACV topically to her face several times a day (4 or more times) has cured her of a "very bad complexion". She reports that she applies it straight and that while it burns her skin a bit, it still works like a miracle!


Cheryl writes, "My daughter developed a case of moderate acne, and after trying a number of different things for over a year which helped very little or not at all, she started drinking 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar three times a day and applying it topically once at night. She has been acne free for two months. It took about three weeks to clear up."

you can get it at the health food store, or in some super market health food sections.
good luck